Collagen-based new bioartificial polymeric materials.

Bioartificial polymeric materials, based on blends of biological and synthetic polymers, have been proposed as new materials for applications in the biomedical field. They should usefully combine the biocompatibility of the biological component with the physical and mechanical properties of the synthetic component. Blends of collagen with either poly(vinyl alcohol) or poly(acrylic acid) have been prepared by mixing aqueous solutions of the two polymers. Differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis has been carried out to investigate the miscibility properties of the polymers and the mechanical behaviour of the blends.